Reverse locking spring



Nov. 30, 1965 A. E. COOPER REVERSE LOCKING SPRING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March '7, 1963 H /3 b Aw 2 I III 4 4 1 on m em. 3 T 2 2 F\ C1. 2 INVENTOR.

ALLEN E. COOPER ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1965 A. E. COOPER 3,220,675

REVERSE LOCKING SPRING Filed March 7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALLEN E. COOPER Avroanev 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 7, 1963 INVENTOR. Amen E. COOPER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,220,675 REVERSE LOCKING SPRING Allen E. Cooper, Hartford, Wis, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Chrysler Outboard Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 263,584 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-4) This invention relates to an improved reverse locking mechanism of the type generally used in combination with an outboard motor for the purpose of releasably holding the motor in a normal operating position.

Outboard motors are commonly mounted on a boat transom to assume a normal vertical operating position and for pivotal movement from that operating position in a vertical plane. Various reverse locking arrangements have been proposed for releasably holding the motor against pivotal movement, such mechanisms should be capable of resisting forces, such as the reverse thrust of a reversible motor, applied in a direction tending to pivot the motor from its normal operating position, and should also be capable of automatic release of the motor for pivotal movement should it encounter a submerged obstacle and manual release to permit selective pivotal movement of the motor.

The various mechanisms proposed heretofore have generally been complicated and costly and an object of this invention is to provide a reverse locking mechanism which will meet all of the above requirements in a relatively simplified mechanism.

For the achievement of this and other objects of this invention, it is proposed to utilize a simple resilient spring member whch is supported for movement into and out of a locking position between the boat structure and the motor. The spring is constructed and arranged so that when in its locking position it exerts a force in opposition to movement of the motor from its normal operating position and so that the spring automatically releases when the force tending to move the motor is in excess of the spring force.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial section through a mounting arrangement incorporating the reverse locking mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial section taken generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial section taken generally along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates the reverse locking mechanism released and with the motor in a partially tilted position;

FIG. 5 illustrates the reverse locking mechanism in a locked position under no load;

FIG. 6 illustrates the deflection of the reverse locking spring in a partial release position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the engagement of the reverse locking spring with the lock pin;

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an alternative embodiment; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate still another alternative embodiment.

With particular reference to the drawings, a portion of an outboard motor 10 is illustrated in the drawings and is supported from a boat transom 12 by a hinge bracket 14. The hinge bracket includes a motor bracket 16 and a transom bracket 18. The transom bracket 18 takes the form of a clamp so that tightening of clamp member 20 against the transom provides a secure connection of the motor to the transom. The transom bracket includes relatively spaced side members 22 and 24 3,220,675 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 'ice connected by a web 26 and each including an upper aperture 27 and 28. A generally elongated portion 30 of motor bracket 16 includes aligned apertures 29 and 31 which, when portion 30 is positioned between arms 22 and 24, register with apertures 27 and 28 for receipt of a bolt 32 to complete a hinge connection for the motor 10. The motor normally assumes a vertical operating position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, but can be tilted relative to the boat transom in a vertical plane and about the horizontal axis provided by bolt 32.

The lower portions 34 and 36 of the side portions 22 and 24 of the transom bracket extend outwardly of the side portions and each include a plurality of arcuately spaced apertures 37. As between portions 34 and 36, apertures 37 are arranged in aligned pairs for receipt of a thrust or lock pin 38. As can be seen in FIG. 2 the lock pin has a turned down end 40 and receives a cotter pin 42 at its opposite end to securely attach the lock pin to the transom bracket. The position of the lock pin on the transom bracket can be varied by selecting any one of the pairs of aligned apertures 37.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 the outboard motor is disposed in its normal vertical operating position and can be tilted upwardily from that position as shown in FIG. 4. When the motor is arranged to apply a forward thrust to the boat the motor will tend to maintain its normal operating position, however, when the motor thrust is reversed a force is applied to the motor which tends to pivot it upwardly about its hinge connection. To resist this reverse thrust and prevent unwanted upward tilting of the motor, a reverse locking spring 44 is arranged to extend between the motor and the transom bracket and hold the motor against such movement. More particularly, the reverse lock spring 44 includes relatively spaced spring arms 46 and 48 having rolled ends 50 and 52 for engagement with an anchor pin 54 supported on motor bracket 16. Ends 50 and 52 and pin 54 form a pivotal connection for spring arms 46 and 48 which are connected by a transversely extending web portion 56 for joint pivotal movement about anchor pin 54.

The opposite or free ends 58 and 60 of spring arms 46 and 48 are generally hook shaped to engage lock pin 38 and the spring arms are so configured as to oppose separation of the anchor and lock pins and, correspondingly, to oppose pivotal movement of the motor from its normal operating position. More particularly, spring arms 46 and 48 each include an intermediate portion 62 and 64 which terminate in the hook shaped ends 58 and 60. Portions 62 and 64 extend in an arcuate path from the anchor pin to the lock pin and terminate in straight portions 66 and 68 which, in the locking position, extends at a tangent to the lock pin to form hook ends 58 and 60 of the spring arms. The spring arms, when engaged between the lock and anchor pins, each exert a force which opposes forces tending to separate the anchor and lock pins and also biases the hook toward the lock pin to maintain engagement therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment portions 62 and 64 are bowed outwardly with respect to a plane extending between the ends of the spring arms or, in other words, from a plane extending between the axes of the anchor and lock pins when the spring is in its locking position. Forces applied to the motor tending to tilt it upwardly about its hinge connecton are resisted by the lock spring and the hook ends of the lock spring and the motor will be held against such tilting motion. However, where the tilting force exceeds the spring force it will tend to straighten out the bowed portions of the spring arms, see FIG. 6, which causes the hook ends of the spring arms to pivot relative to the lock pin and release the lock pin from the hook ends to free the motor.

Web portion 56, which connects spring arms 46 and 48, includes an upwardly projecting portion 67 provided with an aperture 69 for receipt of a cord 71. Cord 71 is part of a manual release for the reverse lock spring and extends from a release knob 73, accessible from within the boat. Should the operator wish to tilt the motor upwardly, for example when beaching the boat, apull on knob 73 will disengage the hook ends of the spring arms from lock pin 38 to free the motor for movement about its hinge connection.

An alternative form of the reverse lock spring is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this arrangement bowed spring arms 72 and 74 include rolled ends 76 and 78 for engagement with anchor pin 54a and hook ends 82 and 84 for releasable engagement with a lock pin 38a. Bowed spring arms 72 and 74 are connected for unitary pivotal movement about anchor pin 54a by a separately formed generally channel shaped connector 86 suitably riveted to each of the spring arms. Connector 86 is also provided with an aperture 88 for receipt of a manual release cord (not shown). The operation of the spring of FIGS. 8 and 9 is identical to that previously discussed.

FIGS. and 11 illustrate yet another alternative form which the reverse lock spring can assume. In this alternative the lock spring is made from wire stock and includes bowed arm portions 90 and 92 having turned ends 94 and 96 engaging an anchor pin 54b and also including hooked ends 100 and 102 for releasable engagement with a lock pin 38b. An integrally formed connector 106 extends between the arms 90 and 92 to connect the arms for joint movement about anchor pin 54b. A release cord (not shown) can be attached to the connector 106 for manual release of the reverse lock spring. The wire stock spring functions in a manner identical to that of two previously discussed embodiments and has the particular advantage that wire stock is more economical than the flat stock of the other embodiments and also is more readily fabricated than flat stock thereby representing a savings in both material and fabrication costs. However, the flat stock locking spring arrangements provide greater holding forces than what would be available from wire stock springs and, therefore, in most applications, the flat stock springs would be preferred.

Although this invention has been illustrated and described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a propulsion unit of, a first bracket member adapted to be connected to a boat, a second bracket member connected to and movable with said propulsion unit, means connecting said first and second bracket members for pivotal movement therebetween about a generally horizontal axis, said propulsion unit normally assuming a generally vertical operating position and being movable about said axis in a vertical plane in response to rearward and upward tilting forces, a lock pin on one and an anchor pin on the other of said first and second bracket members, and a resilient reverse locking spring having one end pivotally mounted on one of said pins and the other end thereof terminating in a bent end portion adapted to releasably engage the other of said pins to oppose rearward tilting of said propulsion unit, said spring including a portion intermediate the ends thereof whch is bowed outwardly from a line between said ends so that when said bent end portion is engaged by said other pin upon rearward tilting said bowed portion exerts a force in opposition to a normal rearward tilting force to maintain said bent end portion in engagement with said other pin, said bowed portion being straightened in response to above normal rearward tilting force to swing said bent end portion relative to said other pin to permit disengagement therebetween and release said propulsion unit.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bent end comprises a straight portion arranged to engage said other pin at varying tangential positions thereon as said bowed portion is straightened.

3. Thecombination of claim 2 wherein said straight portion is substantially perpendicular to a plane extending between said anchor and lock pins when said spring is in said normal locking position.

4. The combination with a propulsion unit of, a first bracket member adapted to be connected to a boat, a second bracket member connected to and movable with said propulsion unit, means connecting said first and second bracket members for pivotal movement therebetween about a generally horizontal axis, said propulsion unit normally assuming a generally vertical operating position and being movable about said axis in a vertical plane, a lock pin on one and an anchor pin on the other of said first and second bracket members, a resilient reverse locking spring adapted to extend between said first and second members and including a pair of relatively spaced arms each having one end thereof in pivotal engagement with one of said pins and the other end thereof terminating in bent end portions arranged to releasably engage the other of said pins, each of said arms including a portion intermediate the ends thereof which is bowed outwardly from a line between said ends so that when said bent end portions are engaged by said other pins upon rearward tilting said bowed portions exert a force in opposition to a normal rearward tilting force to maintain said bent end portions in engagement with said other pins, said bowed portions being straightened in response to above normal rearward tilting force to swing said bent end portions relative to said other pin to permit disengagement therebetween and release said propulsion unit, and connecting means for connecting said arms for joint movement about said anchor pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,646,238 7/ 1953 Kircher 2484 2,992,498 7/ 1961 Mork 268-1 X 3,088,430 5/1963 Champney 1l5-41 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A PROPULSION UNIT, OF A FIRST BRACKET MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A BOAT, A SECOND BRACKET MEMBER CONNECTED TO AND MOVABLE WITH SAID PROPULSION UNIT, MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRACKET MEMBERS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID PROPULSION UNIT NORMALLY ASSUMING A GENERALLY VERTICAL OPERATING POSITION AND BEING MOVABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS IN A VERTICAL PLANE IN RESPONSE TO REARWARD AND UPWARD TILTING FORCES, A LOCK PIN ON ONE AND AN ANCHOR PIN ON THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRACKET MEMBERS, AND A RESILIENT REVERSE LOCKING SPRING HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID PINS AND THE OTHER END THEREOF TERMINATING IN A BENT END PORTION ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE THE OTHER OF SAID PINS TO OPPOSE REARWARD TILTING OF SAID PROPULSION UNIT, SAID SPRING INCLUDING A PORTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF WHICH IS BOWED OUTWARDLY FROM A LINE BETWEEN SAID ENDS SO THAT WHEN SAID BENT END PORTION IS ENGAGED BY SAID OTHER PIN UPON REARWARD TILTING SAID BOWED PORTION EXERTS A FORCE IN OPPOSITION TO A NORMAL REARWARD TILTING FORCE TO MAINTAIN SAID BENT END PORTION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OTHER PIN, SAID BOWED PORTION BEING STRAIGHTENED IN RESPONSE TO ABOVE NORMAL REARWARD TILTING FORCE TO SWING SAID BENT END PORTION RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER PIN TO PERMIT DISENGAGEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND RELEASE SAID PROPULSION UNIT. 